'Fukushima 50' Risk Their Lives To Prevent Nuclear Meltdown

While thousands of people have been evacuated due to high risks of radiation near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a small group of 180 workers are risking their lives to help prevent a major meltdown.

The group of nearly 200 technicians, reportedly labeled the Fukushima 50 because they work in shifts of 50, are likely being exposed to massive amounts of radiation.

CNN reports:

"According to the World Health Organisation, the average person is exposed to about 3.0 millisieverts (mSv) a year of radiation, from naturally-occurring, medical and other sources.

But monitoring at the Fukushima Daiichi site has recorded radiation as high as 400 millisieverts an hour -- a level known to be a risk to human health."

WATCH:

In e-mails and texts, plant workers have to break hard news to family members, reports ABC:

"My dad went to the Nuclear Plant. I never heard my mother cry so hard. People at the plant are struggling, sacrificing themselves to protect you. Please dad come back alive," read a tweet by Twitter user @nekkonekonyaa.

Another woman said her husband continued to work despite knowing he could suffer from radiation poisoning:

"Please continue to live well. I cannot be home for awhile," he told her in an e-mail.

While the Fukushima 50 are being hailed as heroes for their commitment to duty, some question why such a hi-tech country isn't utilizing their technologies to keep humans out of harm's way.

According to The Telegraph,

"Although the country has more hi-tech robots than any other in the world, it has emerged that none are being used in the battle to bring the stricken Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Instead a skeleton team of "hero" workers has been left shouldering the burden trying to cool the plant's nuclear reactors."

Find more information on how to help Japan.

Comments

[Ann Faerber]

04:24 AM on 03/21/2011

These people are heroes... and I don't use that word very often. In a way, I bet they feel somewhat personally responsible for the accident, but, of course, they are not. Did you know this plant was to be decommissioned this year? I think it was to go offline completely at the end of April or May? Unbelievable. It was aging and not up to today's standards in safety. I'm not big on the idea of nuclear energy, but what this plant (the owners) did very wrong was to not take the time and effort to at least bury the plan b emergency water pumps. All nuclear power plants need to bury them, incase of flooding and the like. I'm not saying the earthquake could not have damaged the power plant, or even the emergency pumps (even if buried), however, they certainly could have taken that extra precaution. Maybe the extra water pumps would have been intact and less radiation ;(

[timbeaux]

12:19 AM on 03/21/2011

Heroes usually arise when they're needed. It's one of the things that makes me hopeful about humanity.

These men (and women, if there are any) deserve the highest honors their country can bestow and the finest medical care in the world.

[Ann Faerber]

04:25 AM on 03/21/2011

;^D Well said!

[cucumber]

12:41 PM on 03/19/2011

here's the problem with nuclear - in the event of an emergency, some people may have to do these kinds of sui.cide missions. You can't compel people to go to work. But Japanese society is very collectively based - one for the good of all - hence kamikaze pilots. How many American workers are going to go to work when it means certain de.ath?

[trumphent]

07:35 PM on 03/19/2011

That's an unfair and cruel assessment. I read one account of TMI where, the operators were staying at their posts, in the control room while the reactor was "shining" radiation through the walls. The Soviet government threw young reservists at Chernobyl. Scientists there, would crawl underneath the melted core to collect samples using an AK47 to blast off chips from the "elephant foot".

I don't doubt that there are those you would never see again in such a crisis. Others, are probably going to stick around. That's the span of human nature, whether it be Japan, US, Russia, or anywhere.

[cucumber]

01:24 AM on 03/20/2011

Your definition of "cruel" is...interesting. On the list of "cruel" things, what I SAID is so far down the list I'm not sure how you manage day to day in a truly cruel world.

[pmitch]

03:02 AM on 03/20/2011

The Fukushima Fifty are true heroes. It is difficult to find the words to describe the selfless, solemn attitude that they showed while fighting for Japan and potentially giving up their health – for all of us. I thank to each and every one of them for their work and heroism.

This video describes really well what it means (or should mean to all of us) to be a true patriot.

Be advised, it is a powerful and very emotional piece: Fukushima 50 Tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogE3DTRkpq4

Watch it, share it, think about it!

[BedMan Tan]

03:27 AM on 03/18/2011

I salute this Japanese heroes.

[Leon Hodgkinson]

10:15 PM on 03/17/2011

Their bravery and dedication to their duty is awe-inspiring. I hope that that they will not experience any long-term health problems in the future, but they probably will. Courage is doing something knowing that something might hurt but doing the right thing anyway.

[Sol76]

09:43 PM on 03/17/2011

How can the world ever repay the debt owed to these men and women? The fate of millions of people rests on their shoulders and they are paying the ultimate prize to do what they do.

[Sol76]

09:49 PM on 03/17/2011

I meant to write "ultimate price," meaning of course their health and lives.

[ahoyhoy]

10:43 AM on 03/18/2011

As I said below, this is the one aspect to the entire earthquake that is killing me inside. It's so horrific, I do hope their pain is not too great. Good lord.

[ProgressivePicon86]

09:26 PM on 03/17/2011

The heroes of 2011. May our thoughts continually be with them, their families and everybody in Japan.

[ahoyhoy]

10:41 AM on 03/18/2011

I can't imagine knowing they are quickly being killed, but still staying to save others. A medical expert on NPR the other day remarked rather coldly, that the first thing that will happen in that their skin will start to fall off. He may have been cold & scientific, but I can't get that image and pain out of my head. God bless these heroes.

[GEevendale]

08:30 PM on 03/17/2011

These people are real heroes. God be with them.